Pakistan in Pictures

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Masherbrum (also known as K1) located in the Northern Areas of Pakistan is the 22nd highest mountain in the world and the 11th highest in Pakistan.

It is the highest peak of the Masherbrum range, a subrange of the Karakoram mountains. It is a large and striking peak, which is somewhat overshadowed by the nearby 8000m peaks of the main range of the Karakoram which includes four of the fourteen Eight-thousanders, namely K2, Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II. The meaning of the name "Masherbrum" is not entirely clear. It may come from mashadar (muzzle-loading gun) plus brum (mountain), from the resemblance of the double summit to an old muzzle-loader. It may also come from masha (queen or lady), giving "queen of peaks." Other meanings have also been suggested.

Location

The Masherbrum range lies to the south of the Baltoro glacier and the main range of the Karakoram lies to the north of the Baltoro. The main range is the continental divide of Asia. Rivers to the south flow into the Arabian Sea. Rivers to the north flow to the Yellow Sea.

The Baltoro Glacier is the route most commonly used to access the 8000m peaks of the Karakoram, and many trekkers also travel on the Baltoro. Masherbrum also lies at the north end of the Hushe Valley, which serves as the southern approach to the peak.

History

In 1856, Thomas Montgomerie, a British Royal Engineers lieutenant, noticed a tall mountain in the Karakorams and called it K1 (denoting peak 1 of the Karakorams). To the local people of the area, it is known as Masherbrum.

Masherbrum was reconnoitered in 1911 by the intrepid Dr. William H. Workman and his wife Mrs. Fanny Bullock Workman. It was first attempted in 1938 from the south; the attempt failed just short of the summit.

After two more failed expeditions, in 1955 and 1957, Masherbrum was first climbed in 1960 by George Irving Bell and Willi Unsoeld, part of an American-Pakistani expedition led by Nick Clinch. They succeeded in climbing the southeast face route that had stymied the earlier parties.

The Himalayan Index lists three additional ascents and six additional failed attempts on Masherbrum. The ascents include two by additional routes, the NW Face and the NW Ridge/N Face.

 

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Chogolisa

 

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Broad Peak

 

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Karakoram is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan and China located in the regions of Gilgit, Ladakh, and Baltistan. It is one of the Greater Ranges of Asia, often considered together with the Himalaya, but not technically part of that range.

The Karakoram is home to more than sixty peaks above 7,000m (22,960 ft), including K2, the second highest peak of the world (8,611 m, 28,251 ft). K2 is just 237 m smaller than the 8,848 m tall Mount Everest. The range is about 500 km (300 mi) in length, and is the most heavily glaciated part of the world outside of the polar regions. The Siachen Glacier at 70 km and the Biafo Glacier at 63 km rank as the world's second and third longest glaciers outside the polar regions.

The Karakoram is bounded on the north-east by the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, and on the north by the Wakhan Corridor and the Pamir Mountains. Just to the west of the northwest end of the Karakoram lies the Hindu Raj range, beyond which is the Hindu Kush range. The southern boundary of the Karakoram is formed by the Gilgit, Indus, and Shyok Rivers, which separate the range from the northwestern end of the Himalaya range proper.

Due to its altitude and ruggedness, the Karakoram is much less inhabited than parts of the Himalayas further east. European explorers first visited early in the 19th century, followed by British surveyors starting in 1856.

The Muztagh Pass was crossed in 1887 by the expedition of Colonel Francis Younghusband and the valleys above the Hunza River were explored by George Cockerill in 1892. Explorations in the 1910s and 1920s established most of the geography of the region.

Geological importance

The Karakoram and the Himalayas are important to Earth scientists for several reasons. They are one of the world's most geologically active areas, at the boundary between two colliding continents. Therefore, they are important in the study of plate tectonics. Mountain glaciers may serve as an indicator of climate change, advancing and receding with long-term changes in temperature and precipitation. These extensive ranges may have even caused climate change when they were formed over 40 million years ago. The large amounts of rock exposed to the atmosphere are weathered (broken down) by carbon dioxide. This process removes the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere, and could have caused the global climate to cool, triggering an ongoing series of ice ages.

Highest peaks
K2 (Qogir Feng)

Most of the highest of Karakoram peaks are in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Notable peaks are:

* K2 (Qogir Feng) (8,611 m)
* Gasherbrum I (8,068 m)
* Broad Peak (Phalchen Kangri) (8,047 m)
* Gasherbrum II (8,035 m)
* Gasherbrum III (7,952 m)
* Gasherbrum IV (7,925 m)
* Distaghil Sar (7,885 m)
* Kunyang Chhish (7,852 m)
* Masherbrum I (7,821 m)
* Batura I (7,795 m)
* Rakaposhi (7,788 m)
* Batura II (7,762 m)
* Kanjut Sar (7,760 m)
* Saltoro Kangri (7,742 m)
* Batura III (7,729 m)
* Saser Kangri (7,672 m)
* Chogolisa (7,665m)
* Haramosh Peak (7,397 m)
* Baintha Brakk (7,285 m)
* Muztagh Tower (7,273 m)

The majority of the highest peaks are either in the Baltistan or Ladakh regions of Pakistan. Baltistan has more than 100 mountain peaks exceeding 6,100 metres (20,000 ft) height from sea level.

 

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Broad Peak

 

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M1/M2 Junction Lahore/Peshawar

 

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Broad Peak

 

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Broad Peak

 

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Chogolisa

 

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Gasherbrum II

 

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Masherbrum

 

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Masherbrum

 

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Chogolisa

 

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The Baltoro Glacier, at 62 kilometers long, is one of the longest glaciers outside of the polar regions. It is located in Baltistan, in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, and runs through part of the Karakoram mountain range. The Baltoro Muztagh lies to the north and east of the glacier, while the Masherbrum Mountains lie to the south. At 8,611 m (28,251 ft), K2 is the highest mountain in the region, and three others within 20 km top 8,000 m.

The glacier gives rise to the Shigar River, which is a tributary of the Indus River. Several large tributary glaciers feed the main Baltoro glacier, including the Godwin Austen Glacier, flowing south from K2; the Abruzzi and the various Gasherbrum Glaciers, flowing from the Gasherbrum group of peaks; the Vigne Glacier, flowing from Chogolisa, and the Yermandendu Glacier, flowing from Masherbrum. The confluence of the main Baltoro Glacier with the Godwin Austen Glacier is known as Concordia; this location and K2 base camp are popular trekking destinations.

The trough of this glacier is very wide. Small valley glaciers form icefalls where they meet the trunk glacier. The sidewalls vary from very steep to precipitous. The glacier has carved striations on the surrounding country rocks. Moving ice has formed depressions, which serve as basins for numerous glacial lakes.

The glacier can be approached via the important Balti town of Skardu.

 

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The Kaghan Valley is a valley in the north-east of Mansehra District of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. It attracts many tourists from around the country.

The Kaghan valley is named after the town of Kaghan rather than for the Kunhar River which flows through the length of the valley. The valley extends 155 km, rising from an elevation of 2,134 feet (650 m) to its highest point, the Babusar Pass, at 13,690 feet (4,170 m). Popular languages are Hindko and Gojri, while Urdu, Pakistan's national language is also familiar among the locals. The region is Alpine in geography and climate, with forests and meadows dominating the landscape below peaks that reach over 17,000 feet.